Temple's Aug. 15 ribbon-cutting ceremony announced the 57th Street Bridge opening to traffic as part of TxDOT's My35 Reconstruction Project. The ceremony celebrated the improvements made to I-35 facilitating safety, mobility and travel-time reliability.
"We're excited about what the future holds for Temple," said Mayor Tim Davis. "The City of Temple recognizes the importance of I-35 to its ongoing success. It's now up to the city leadership to continue to find innovative ways to capitalize on this great asset."
Looking to this future, speakers at the ceremony included Texas State Rep. Hugh Shine, Mayor Tim Davis and TxDOT Director of District Operations Randy Hopmann. Each remarked on the value of the My35 improvements made in Temple, which represents a $243 million investment in the city's infrastructure.
"Projects like this continue to be valuable for finding more efficient ways to move people and goods through the I-35 corridor in Central Texas. That's why we want to do it right," says TxDOT Waco District Public Information Officer Ken Roberts. "We want to accommodate our traveling public as best we can to ease their commute along this corridor through our Texas cities."
Roberts notes that the improvements open other avenues for traffic flow, taking pressure off busy crossings. Instead of waiting for traffic to pick up, drivers can use the newly opened lanes (now four mainlanes in each direction, replacing the old structure, which had two lanes each way), alleviating congestion along the interstate.
"I-35 runs straight through the heart of Texas, transporting goods valued at over $750 billion annually," Hopmann told attendees. "Around 11.4 million Texans make their home in the 22 counties along the corridor. In Temple, about 115,000 vehicles per day use I-35 on their way to Waco, DFW, or Austin. TxDOT often refers to I-35 as Main Street Texas — for good reason."
I-35's popularity makes it not only necessary but critical to expand the interstate in cities like Temple. While short-term pain might require travelers to take their time moving through work zones, the long-term gain will improve mobility, keep travelers safer, and open up economic opportunities for the cities and townships along the corridor.
"The completion of I-35 through Temple brings closure to a long-awaited construction project that facilitates traffic transitioning through the city, and further enhances our economic attractiveness," says Shine. "Working with TxDOT, the highway construction team and community leaders during the final three years of construction has been a rewarding experience."
Jake Smith
I-35 Public Information Officer
254-867-2705
Contact My35
